So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people. Of the...
John 18:10b
posted by DJL
The slave’s name was Malchus. Who was Malchus? That’s an easy question to overlook amid the drama of Jesus’ encounter with those who have come out to arrest him. But I think it’s also an important question. Because while we don’t know with any certainty who exactly Malchus was – we...
John 18:10-11
posted by DJL
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Having spoken yesterday about how...
Lent 2 B: The Theory of Everything
posted by DJL
Dear Partner in Preaching, Yes, I have the Academy Awards on my mind. Actually, I only watched a bit of the program this past Sunday evening and have not seen all the contenders for best film yet. But of the various moments of the show I did catch, one helped me articulate what I think is the heart of not just this week’s passage but the whole of the Gospel. It was the song “Glory” from Ava DuVernay’s film Selma, and what struck me was how the song writers John Legend and Common described the march to Selma in the terms of glory. Think about that for a moment. That march, along with the larger struggle for civil rights, was...
John 18:7-9
posted by DJL
Again he asked them, “For whom are you looking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave...
John 18:1-7
posted by DJL
After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a...
John 18:2
posted by DJL
Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. One final introductory note setting the stage not just for this scene but for the whole of the passion narrative: What happens next is no accident. Notice that Jesus goes to a place he knows, a...
Eye-Contact and Intimacy
posted by DJL
Okay, so I don’t really know if this qualifies as “science” (the “studies show” is what got to me). But I’d invite you to take four and a half minutes and watch it anyway. It’s just really interesting…and kind of beautiful…and testifies, I think, to our deep desire to be connected to others. So take a look…and maybe even try it out. Notes: 1) If you receive this post by email, you may need to click on the title at the top of the post in order to watch the video. 2) Thanks to the great folks at Soul Pancake for another awesome video. 3) I also found a great article on the...
John 18:1
posted by DJL
After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. In John, there is a clear transition, as we noted, between Jesus’ last meal with his disciples and the commencement of events...
John 18:1a
posted by DJL
After Jesus had spoken these words,… What words? There is a long-standing debate among careful readers of the Bible about whether the Passion Narratives in each of the Gospels should start before or after the Last Supper. Is the time Jesus spends with his disciples in fellowship and predicts...
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